Space Wolves HQ's

[Schertenleib]

I've been wondering about this for the past several days. So I thought I would ask the opinion of my Wolf Brothers.

 

 

In the old Codex we had to take one HQ for every 750 pts. Do you still find yourself setting up your list by this guideline even though it is no longer a requirement?

 

Do you have a standard Rule of thumb when setting up your HQ's?

For example: Rune Priest first HQ. Wolf Priest with Bloodclaws or Skyclaws. Don't field Wolf Lord under 2000 points.

 

So how are you doing it?

[Wolf Lord Karulfr]

I usually take a minimalist approach to characters. The Rune Priest is my first solid option and while I like the Wolf Priest with the Blood Claws or Skyclaws, I haven't played in a game big enough to try it out yet.

 

The Wolf Lord has his place in larger point games as the centerpiece of a hammer unit but at that point a named character might serve you better.

 

As for HQ special characters, Njal is a solid option to replace the Rune Priest.

I'd love to be able to justify buying the Forge World venerable dread and using it as Bjorn.

[Emperor's Instrument]

In my 1500 point list I have Logan Grimnar, Rune Priest and Wolf Priest.

[MagneticFreak]

In the past, I was very minimalist when using HQ's. As the game was not so oriented towards objectives, A lot of my killing was done using a strong heavy support.

 

But nowdays, I ALWAYS include a RunePriest AND Arjac Rockfist. I also use Canis Wolfborn as a suicide character, along with wolves.

 

So yeah, 3 HQs occur often.

[Wispy]

My three rules of thumb for HQs:

 

1 - Take a hammer HQ or a support HQ. this usually for me, means a heavily equipped wolf lord (hammer) or a Rune Priest. I go one or the other. Never both.

 

2 - Never, EVER, throw away your initiative. EVER. I won't give my HQs thunder hammers, powerfists, or anything else. I5 and a power weapon is so hopeful in busting enemy marines, and I can't fanthom why everyone likes to throw it away for.

 

3 - If you plan on assaulting things, give yourself some sort of invulnerable save. Belta of Russ, Storm Shield, whatever.

[Grey Mage]

I find the right number for me is one per 1000pts, rounding in favor of making my infantry more effective... IE at 1500 I might take one, or I might take 2, depending on if theres a good placement for the second one in the army.

 

Mostly this isnt a huge change, as a Vendread was almost always my first HQ in any game anyways.

[stinkenheim]

i find myself fielding similar armies to the old dex, so i still have my 4 leaders, Wolf Priest-Bloodclaws, Wolf Lord-Wolf Guard and the Rune priest floats about depending on what i want him to do, then theres my ven dread which although it isnt a HQ anymore gets saga of majesty and bolsters my front line like he used to.

[KeithGatchalian]

In 3rd edition, I found my best vanilla and Templar armies took the cheapest HQ available, around 50 points! That was back when you had the invisible powerfist on a vet sargeant, and he did most of my killing. Yet though I won alot, I found myself losing the 3rd game in a tournament....

 

I eventually figured out why, and so I switched to an army I loved dearly, but had avoided because so many other people in my area played them when I first started...the Blood Angels. And the determining factor was initiative.

 

If you can strike first, that gives you a huge advantage over your enemy. With Blood Angels, you could have I5 marines, which was big. With them, I won 1 tournament and placed high enough to win something like 6-8 Best Sportsmans....

 

I then switched back to Space Wolves, as they had the Storm Caller power, which let them go first if charged. I used this power on a Wolf Guard termie armor, and had a blast playing it. I did not win or place in any tournaments, usually due to some bad luck on my part, or some bad calls during play.

 

Now, with the wolves having several choices with high Init, I really see the advantage of taking at least 3 of them, and the Rune Priest.

 

The problem is that so many of the Ubercharacters have higher Init, it does blunt the Wolf IC's a bit. So I gear them up for squad killing, and use squads to (hopefully) kill enemy characters.

[Coverfire]

I then switched back to Space Wolves, as they had the Storm Caller power, which let them go first if charged. I used this power on a Wolf Guard termie armor, and had a blast playing it. I did not win or place in any tournaments, usually due to some bad luck on my part, or some bad calls during play.

 

 

Stormcaller was always a defensive power, you could never gain benefit when charging.

[Bearboy]

1 per 1000 points. Keep them basic and cheap. Unless i'm using a special character.

[KeithGatchalian]

I then switched back to Space Wolves, as they had the Storm Caller power, which let them go first if charged. I used this power on a Wolf Guard termie armor, and had a blast playing it. I did not win or place in any tournaments, usually due to some bad luck on my part, or some bad calls during play.

 

 

Stormcaller was always a defensive power, you could never gain benefit when charging.

 

Thats what I said. If charged, the SW went first.

 

Actually, there was a time when you could go first when charged due to the wording in the FAQ, but then the final version of the codex came out, which made it clear it only worked when you were charged.

[Wildfire]

I generally go minimalist on HQs, usually HQs that support my troops.. I prefer boots on the ground over expensive HQs. However, if you're looking for a combat HQ, probably you want to spend a fair amount making him killy and resiliant.

 

It's rare even in large games that I take more than one HQ.

[Level]

I look at the Rune priest as more of a support option than an actual HQ, certainly he does not have the ability to lead from the front as Russ himself did. For this reason I find myself taking 2 in games between 1250 and 2000 as it is nice to have a hero that can hold his own in close combat in order to bolster my Grey hunters if they come up against something particularly nasty. under 1000 points and I'm sure 1 is more than enough.

[Freman Bloodglaive]

Rune Priest in terminator armour with the Wolf Guard, Wolf Guard Battle Leader with frost blade, storm shield and jump pack with Skyclaws.

 

Perhaps a Wolf Lord on bike with some Swift Claws.

 

I don't like using named characters, I don't care how good they are (exception being in the Dark Angels where you need them to access the variant army lists, haven't played with Logan).

[Grey Mage]

I then switched back to Space Wolves, as they had the Storm Caller power, which let them go first if charged. I used this power on a Wolf Guard termie armor, and had a blast playing it. I did not win or place in any tournaments, usually due to some bad luck on my part, or some bad calls during play.

 

 

Stormcaller was always a defensive power, you could never gain benefit when charging.

Negatory, there was a time where you gained the benefit, indeed it was specificly stated.

 

The problem is people kept using it that way long after that stopped being the case.

[clanfield]

i always use a battle leader under 1k then a rune priest over 1k with a wolf lord coming in at 2k+ i just like haveing an army for my lord not a smatering of squads

as to the old wolf i only use him in apoc games seems right for multi company battles

[nurglespuss]

I use battle elader and rune priest in 1000pts, and add either another rune priest or battle leader 1500 or over. I've used a wolflord once, but really, found a battle leader does just as a good a job.

[LakotaWolf]

i have played 2 games now that i have gotten back in and won them both

 

1st game was a 1000 pt game and i included Njal

 

2nd game was a 2000 pt game and i included Njal, Ulrik, Canis

 

so far i have had great success

 

Also i am only 1 of 2 people in the area who play space wolves so part of it could be fear of the unknown in how to deal with them..........so far i have gone the route of footslogging in and relied on hand to hand combat for my victories

[Aeddon]

A Rune Priest in (usually Njal) with Terminators and a Wolf Priest with Skyclaws are my first picks. I haven't used any Battle Leaders or Wolf Lords yet but at higher games (1500 or 1750 depending on the force I'm taking) I include a second Rune Priest in power armor.

[SamaNagol]

Full mech you can get away with one HQ as a CC support character.

 

If you have anything that's walking then in the meta-game you probably need a Rune Priest.

[Mammon]

My average number of HQ choices in a match is 2. The only time I might take a single HQ is in a match below 1k points. Otherwise its two. 2k I take three, one of which being my V. Dread with SoM to ensure that my ****** rolling won't allow me to fail a Perils of the Warp test or a Ld test for Counter-Attack. I find I need the Saga of Majesty because I tend to fail big when I roll for leadership (last match I rolled an 11 four of five times for my Rune Priest's Psychic Test).

 

I usually don't take named characters very often, I can usually spend the points better elsewhere. HQs are often 100pts or only a little more so they don't cost me an arm and a leg to field, leaving me with points enough for other goodies.

[Ryah]

I only use one HQ in my 1850 list and that's Ragnar. I have him with 15 Bloodclaws all in an LRC.

 

Your looking at close to 75+ attacks out of that LRC

[Wolf Guard Dansef]

At 1500 I usually take 1 HQ and at 2000 I usually take 2. Occassionally, depending on the game being played, a third might find it's way into my lists but that's uncommon.

 

I don't particularly liked named characters either, but occassionally Ragnar finds his way into my 2000+ point lists just for the fun of it. Competitively, I keep them as simple and cheap as possible.

[Stormbrow II]

Just the one at 1500 points.

 

Characters are best used in a support role and the Rune Priest is the best of these in an all-comers list with his 4+ stick.

 

The rest of the points saved go into my Troops and fancy stuff.

[archonbrujah]

just been using one HQ at 1000 or 1500, saving the points for troops, but I'm still footslogging mostly.

 

Toyed with the other HQ's, but the Rune Priests powers and stick are too good to skip.

 

Archonbrujah